Sheet gauging and sorting mechanism



Dec. 1, 1942. n. succncom:

SHEET 'GAUGING AND SORTING MECHANISM Filed April 17. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l A i h D. BUCCIC ONE I 2,303,681 SHEET GAUGING AND SOHTING MECHA IIiSM Dec; 1, 1942..

2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed April 17, 1941 Patented Dec. 1, 1942 OFFICE SHEET GAUGING AND SORTING 7 MECHANISM Dario Buccicone, Gary, Ind. Application April 17, 1941, Serial No; 389,072

3 Claims. (Cl- 209 88) This invention is a sheet gauging and sorting machine adapted to handle any sheet material but specifically designed for use with tin plate.

A specific example of the machine is illustrated .by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Figure 2 is a front elevation; and

Figure '3 isa detail.

I More specifically, a base i mounts laterally spaced vertical housings 2 having windows 3 in which bearings journal the necks of rolls 4, 5, 6 and I. The necks of the roll 4 are journaled in bearings 8 that are fixed against downward movement and the necks of the roll 5 are journaled in bearings 9 which float vertically, these bearings 8 and 9 being laterally positioned by the housing parts framing the lower portions of the windows 3. The necks of the rolls 5 and I are respectivelyjoumaled in levers l and II which vertically swing in the upper portions of the windows I which are here widened. to accommodate these levers. The roll is restrained from downward movement by its contact with the roll 4, downward movement of the roll 6 is restrained by cams l2 on which the swinging ends of the levers 10 restand downward movement of the roll I is similarlyrestrained by cams l 3 on which the swinging ends of the levers ll rest. In all instances the levers are pivoted to the housings 2 at one end, intermediately carry the roll neck bearings and have their swinging 'end resting upon the cams as described.

The rolls 4 and 5 are rotatably interconnected by gears G designed to remain in mesh upon separation of the rolls 4 and I within reasonable limits, and one of the necks of the roll 4 is prolonged and powered by a drive D. Assuming the rotations of the rolls 4 and 5 to be in the direction indicated by the arrows, the sheet S to be gauged is fed between the rolls 4 and 5, this raising the roll 5 which vertically floats by reason of its necks being mounted by the floating bearings 9, the bearings 8 journaling the necks of the roll 4 being fixed against downward movement as described. The distance the roll 5 is lifted depends upon the thickness of the sheet beinggauged, it being noted that all portions of the sheet are contacted in transverse as well as longitudinal directions, the distance the roll 5 is lifted being a direct function of the maximum thickness of the sheet.

Whenthe roll 5 is lifted it peripherally engages the roll 6 if the cams l2 are set so that the distance between the peripheries of the rolls 5 and 8 equals or is less than the distance the roll 5 is lifted, or, in other words, equals or is less than the maximum thickness of the sheet being gauged. The roll 6 can float upwardly by reason of its necks being joumaled by the uD- wardly swinging levers i0, and if the thickness between the peripheries of the rolls 5 and 6 as set bythe cams I2 is less than the distance the roll 5 is lifted by the sheet, then the roll 6 is also lifted so as to peripherally engage the roll 1 depending upon whether the cams l3 which determine the position of this verticalroll I are set so that the roll roll 6.

The cams I2 and I3 are respectively mounted by shafts l4 and i 5 joumaled by the housings 2 and, having projecting ends respectively provided with pointers I6 and I8, these pointers, in turn, respectively playing on dials I 9 and 20. These dials are calibrated in terms of thickness or gauge, the dial l9 representing under gauge and the dial 20 over gauge. Assuming the dials to be respectively set for over and under gauge tolerances, the passage of the sheet between the rolls 4 and 5 will result in no frictional drive between the rolls 5 and 6 if the sheet is thinner than the under gauge tolerance, frictional drive will result between the rolls 5 and 6 if the sheet 1 is sufliciently close to the is within the under gauge tolerance or is over.

gauge, and will result in frictional drive between the rolls 6 and I if the sheet exceeds'the over gauge tolerance. In each instance the maximum thickness of thesheet is gauged.

Advantage is taken'of the above by the power from the rotation of the rolls 6 and l to operate sheet deflectors 2| and 22 arranged at the exit of the rolls 4 and 5, the deflector 2| being carried by a shaft 23 keyed to a lever 24 thrown through a link 25 by a lever 25 powered by the neck of the roll 6 through a friction.

clutch 21. The deflector 22 is carried by a shaft 28 keyed to a lever 29 thrown through-a link 30 by a lever 3| powered by the neck of the roll I through a friction clutch 32. The weight of the deflector 2| and its associated levers and link is reacted by an adjustable counterpoise 33 carried by an opposing extension 34 of the lever 24, while the weight of the deflector 22 and its associated levers and link is reacted by an.ad-

justable counterpoise 35 carried by an opposing these earns, the roll 6 is frictionally driven by the roll I but does not itself frictionally drive the roll 1, this powering the lever 26 through the iriction clutch 21 so as to throw the lever 24 through the link 25, this lowering the deflector 2| and allowing the sheet to pass through to a belt conveyer 31' as being within the proper tolerance. erance, it cannot lift the roll high enough for it to frictionally drive the roll 6, this resulting in no movement of the deflector 2| and consequent downward deflection of the sheet as being the friction clutch 32 so as to throw the lever 28 through the link and cause the sheet deflector 22 to be moved downwardly so as to upwardly deflect the sheet to a conveyor 31 as being deflnitely over gauge. tionally biased to its non-deflecting position by proper adjustment of the counterpoise 36.

In addition to the details described, it will be noted that the ends of the roll 5 are of reduced diameter to provide open passes between the ends of the rolls 4 and 5, this being so that when the sheet gauged is a sheet of tin plate or the like, the burred edges can pass through these open so that the true thicknessis gauged. This necessitates the illustrated enlargements oi the end diameters of the roll 8- to effect proper peripheral engagement between the rolls 5 and 6. The rolls and I are cylindrical throughout and all roll portions are carefully ground to true cylindrical parts. Inadvertent rotation of the shafts I4 and I! on which the cams l2 and I! are mounted is prevented by a clamp 38 con-. stituting two halveswhich engage opposite sides or both shafts, the clamp halves being clamped together by a screw 29 when it is desired to lock the cam shafts.

Compression springs 40 adjusted by screws Ill bear down on the levers H, and compression springs 42 adjusted by screws 43 bear down on the levers ID, the springs 42 passing through openings in the levers II to reach the lev'ers ll. These springs may be adjusted to increase the frictional drive effected when the variousriills peripherally intercontact, but normally thisf is not necessary. Otherwise, the springs function to prevent violent upward throwing of the rolls 8,1 and I and their associated parts in the event a an unusually thicksheet is passed between the rolls 4 and I or should a plurality of sheets be inadvertently passed through the machine. iii

The position to which the deflector 2| is biased by the counterpoise a is determined by a'screw ll that engages a stop 45 while the deflecting position of this deflector is determined wbyl a screw 4 that engages this same stop. The same However, if the sheet is under the tol- The deflector 22 is gravitafunction is provided the deflector 22 by the screw ll, stop is and screw 4! which respectively per- :form the same functions as those of similar parts associated with the deflector 2|.

I claim:

1. A gauge including at least three substantial-f ly parallel rolls with the middle roll floating between the other two and the latter respectively spaced so that the passage of work equaling or exceeding a predetermined thickness between any two of the rolls causing the middle roll to peripherally engage one or the other of the other two rolls, the roll so peripherally engaged by the floating roll being yieldable from the position eifecting its said spaced relation when the floating roll forces against it by reason of the passage of work exceeding said predetermined thickness, and a fourth roll being positioned parallel the roll engaged by the floating roll for periph- 20 eral engagement therebywhen it yields from its said position, drives being powered by the roll engaged by the floating roll and by the fourth roll, and work sorting means handling work delivered from the gauge being selectively powered by these drives.

2. A sheet gauging machine comprising at least four parallel rolls in vertical alignment,

*iixedbearings journaling the lowermost one oisaid rolls, vertically floating bearings journaling the others of said rolls, adjustable means for in- --dividually restraining downward movement of the bearings journaling the upper two of said rollsflfriction clutches individually connected to said upper two of said rolls and individual power -takeofls for said clutches, the material to be gauged being passed through the two lower ones of said rolls so that the others of said rolls are turned by one another with the number turned depending on the adjustment of said means ref straining downward movement oi the bearings of said upper two of said rolls.

3. h sheet gauging and sorting machine comiprising at least four parallel rolls in vertical 'i alignment, flxed bearings journaling the lower- 4 *most0ne0f said rolls, means for rotating said lowe'rmost roll, vertically floating bearings jour- K naIing the others of said rolls independently of l ons! another, adjustable means for individually "restraining downward movement of the bearings journaling the upper two of said rolls, levers with friction clutches individually connecting said levers to said upper two or said rolls, the material ones of said rolls so that the others of said rolls 'are turned by one another with the number turned depending on the adjustment of said means restraining downward movement of the bearings of said upper two of said rolls, a sheet 00 deflecting means powered by said levers to defle'ct' sheets from one path to another depending on where one or more of said levers are thrown by rotation of one or'both of said upper two rolls.

'DaRIO BUCCICONE.

v to se gauged being passed through the two lower 

